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With the clock ticking towards the CQ Worldwide DX SSB Contest the last weekend of October, organizers of the Stew Perry 160 contest are back again this year with a warmup event, giving you the chance to fine tune your topband antennas before the big CQ WW phone showdown.
"During August and most of September, I was working VK3ZL almost every morning, along with VK6ABL and some JAs," reports Stew Perry chief organizer Larry Tyree N6TR, aka Tree, as he noted that the band has certainly been active of late.
Tyree told radio-sport.net last week that he was pleased with turnout levels for last year's Stew Perry warmup, and hopes this year will generate even more activity on 160.
"While the activity levels didn't match the main event, it was a success considering how little time we had to advertise it," Tyree said.
"We ended up with about 25 percent of the logs that we normally see in December. Perhaps this year, that will double."
As in the real Stew Perry contest, which comes near the end of December each year, this test is based on the distance of the contacts involved, with four character grid square locators used as the exchange.
Point values are also affected by whether you have made a contact with a QRP, low power or high power station.
Topband has been active in recent weeks into the West Coast of the United States, giving Tree and others some hope that this year will be a better one for the Stew Perry warmup act.
"The band has supported European QSOs from the west coast for over a month now. My first QSO was with G4AMT on the 26th of August," said Tree.
"OJ0B did an excellent job putting Market Reef on the air and they were coming through almost every day they were on the air. Finally, the A25 group worked into Oregon on two different nights of their acitivity."
The Stew Perry Warmup begins at 1500z on October 18 and goes for 24 hours to 1500z October 19; ; more at the Stew Perry web site.
AD8P - Single Op QRP
KH6LC - Multi-High Power
For the full results, go to the Stew Perry 160 web site.
The eight hour event starts on Sunday October 19 at 1700z and goes through 0100z on October 20, and uses 160 through 2 meters for contacts.
Craig Thompson K9CT is the defending Illinois fixed station champ, while Peter Beedlow NN9K won last year for best mobile score in the state. W9TY was the top rover.
From outside the Land of Lincoln, Keith Pedersen WA3HAE was the top scorer.
While Pederson won the non-Illinois crown, he fell short when it came to the most counties. WA3HAE notched 91 counties in the log, but it was Larry Vogt N4VA who managed to put 92 of the 102 Illinois counties in the log.
Illinois QSO Party
1700 October 19 to 0100z October 20; more at the
ILQP web site.
